July 22. Left Matane at 5:25am. The wind has been consistently from a westerly direction, either southwest or northwest' and less than 10kts, enough to fill the sails and combined with the current and tide they help make good progress. The waves are on average 1' - 2' unless the tide is against the current then it can become uncomfortable and skies have been a mix of sun and cloud. The average run these last few days has been approximately 40 to 45 nm, an average of 8 hrs on the water.
Today was my first close encounter with a large whale. By close I mean a couple of hundred feet away. What caught my attention was what looked like an explosion in the water. A short while later another explosion and the whale gently came to the surface and slowly slid back into the water. I was about the same size as my boat.
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| whale off in the distance |
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| Catherine with painted driftwood sculpture in St. Anne des Monts |
Forecast predicted a front to come through so I decided to stay in St. Anne des Monts. This was a welcome break as I had been traveling several days in a row without a break.
St. Anne de Monts has some very interesting driftwood sculptures. Each year they have a competition in creating driftwood sculptures.
On one of the rest days we got to see the first boat of the Transat race go by. This is an event that takes place every four years. Boat race from Quebec City to St. Malo, France non stop and round several marks outside of some of the cities along the Gaspé before they head across the Atlantic. Initially the boats were to round the mark at St. Anne des Monts around noon but because the winds died down it was not until much later that the first place boat crossed the path with the bulk of the fleet coming through in the middle of the night and the last two, early in the morning.
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| Transat race boats enroute from Quebec City to St. Malo France pass by Saint Anne des Monts check point. |
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| rain day = road trip |
The next day was a rain day which meant that I was not going anywhere. Instead it was a road trip day. I got to experience some of the beautiful countryside from the shore.
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| 2m + following seas and 20-25kt winds |
July 25. Left at 5:35 with winds from the west at 10 - 15kts. A great day for sailing. What I didn't know was that the forecast changed an hour after I left. Winds ended up being 20 - 25kts and the waves became more than 2 metres. I started out with the full genoa sail out but found it too powerful once I was doing more than 9kts with the wind and current. When the waves started to come in over the stern, I reduced the sail somewhat. I called Catherine wondering if it the conditions were better at the destination to see whether I should find a place for the night earlier. She assured me that things were fine at the next stop, Riviere de Madeleine and so I continued with my surfing. It became very tiring trying to control the boat, sail and surf down the waves. The harbour that I was heading to was not on the charts so based on the instructions in the guide book and instructions from Catherine I headed into the harbour. A little tricky as the waves as I entered the harbour were on the beam causing the boat to rock violently. Once inside the break wall everything was calm and serene.
I was now at the northern most part of the trip.
Later the day we went for a drive to find a gas station for some fuel. It was at that time that I got a call from my mother with the sad news that my cousin in Italy, Christina, had passed away that day. She had lost her battle with cancer.
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| I'm the tiny little speck in the distance |
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| Riviere des Madeleine, northern most part of the trip |
July 26. I was now heading south (actually southeast) looking forward to getting back into summer like conditions that I am used to. It has not been warm enough to wear shorts since I left Quebec City.
The regular weather pattern has returned, clear skies, winds <10kts out of the SW shifting to NW and waves less than 1m. The current was still noticeable providing an extra 1 - 2 kts and the high tidal range was no longer and issue. All of this allowed for a comfortable motor sail with the genoa at an average speed of 7.5kts. This also means I arrive at a destination early enough to enjoy the day ashore as well. That evening were entertained at the marina of Riviere au Renard with live music.
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sailing past Gaspé |
July 27. I was able to leave a little later as the distance for the day was the shortest in a long time, a mere 37nm. Winds were light and constantly changing direction. First NW then W then back to NW and finally to NE allowing very little sailing instead mostly motoring. Early in the morning it became overcast and I was able to watch the rain clouds approach. Rain was light to moderate along the north side of the Gaspé bay and finally cleared up just in time so I would have great photo ops as I sailed past Percé Rock.
Catherine had driven on ahead as usual and secured a spot on the wall at the tiny hamlet of Anse de Beaufils.
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Once there I found out docking is at a
first come first served basis and boats are moved around to accommodate as many
as possible. Initially we had another Alberg 30 raft next to us, who then moved
behind us and then back next to us to make room for two other boats, one of which
was quite large and whose owner did not look impressed when another boat that
had children and dogs on board raft next to him.
Everyone was charged $1per foot, even boats that rafted, and the harbour was full in the evening. The washrooms/showers were inside the museum/restaurant and were closed overnight.
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| Percé Rock |
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| Chandler, on the Baie de Chaleur, done with the St. Lawrence |
July 28. Another short day and therefore did not leave until 7:45am. The skies were clear and the winds were light, 5-10kts from the SW. I no longer had a current to help me move along, speeds would now be much slower. I ended up motor sailing on a beam reach to Chandler QC on the Baie de Chaleur. This would the last stop in Quebec. The next day I would be in New Brunswick.
Again Catherine had arranged a spot for us and as it was early when I arrived we went for a short drive in the afternoon. Found a florist and arranged to have some flowers sent for Catherine's mother who turned 80. Once we got back we treated ourselves to some marinated salmon and sangria at the marina. Very tasty.
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| Marinated salmon and sangria in Chandler |
Once there I found out docking is at a
first come first served basis and boats are moved around to accommodate as many
as possible. Initially we had another Alberg 30 raft next to us, who then moved
behind us and then back next to us to make room for two other boats, one of which
was quite large and whose owner did not look impressed when another boat that
had children and dogs on board raft next to him.
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